Re: [HOE] While I'm at it...

["Kartzoffs" <kartzoffs@optusnet.com.au>]

I like him. Well balanced and with definite character. I can imagine a
Templar working with the Resistance having Shaft as his best friend (well
him and Maggie Grimes...).
Just one quick question though. What do you do if that Legend Chip ability
pushes it past five? (Mathematically I don't know if it could happen but you
know players. Universal laws usually don't apply to them.)

Alex

2MTD
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nick Zachariasen" <zacharin@pluto.dsu.edu>
To: "Deadlands HoE" <hoe@gamerz.net>
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 10:37 AM
Subject: [HOE] While I'm at it...


> I figured while I'm posting a reworked Saint T, I should go ahead and post
a
> slightly reworked Saint Shaft. Here goes:
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> John Shaft
> Saint of Equality
>
> In 1971, a movie came out about "the black private dick who's the sex
> machine to all the chicks." This movie that started the blaxploitation
> genre was called Shaft; based on a novel by author Ernest Tidyman, few
> people realized that the film was actually biographical. Tidyman knew a
> struggling Harlem detective named David Johnathan Shaft, and it was this
> person on whom the novels and TV series were based, unbeknownst to the
> publishing, movie, and TV companies. Shaft and Tidyman both found great
> amusement
> in this.
> After the success of the first film, Shaft decided to ride the popularity
of
> the character and started going by his middle name instead of his first.
> This helped his
> business out tremendously, and as the popularity of the character grew, so
> did Shaft's fame. After the end of the TV series, Shaft and Tidyman
decided
> to revela the private joke to all, and the public, too, found it funny at
> the expense of the execs who had remained totally clueless.
> Shaft ended up becoming a highly respected member of his community for the
> work he did to improve living and economic conditions in poor
neighborhoods,
> especially his home borough of Harlem. In the mid-80s, Shaft ran for mayor
> of New York City and won, creating the largest voter turnout in New York
> history mainly as a result of the underprivileged coming out to vote. He
> used his newfound power to continue his work helping the poor, which
> consisted of various ways of trying to help get them out from under the
> heels of the power elite. Needless to say, this didn't go over too well
> with said rich people.
> Some of the rich of New York decided to seek a "solution" to having gotten
> the Shaft. However, they chose a rather bad time. Mayor Shaft was trying
> to push some rather strong environmental enforcement through, as well as a
> lot of reform in the police department. This shook out many of the crooked
> cops
> who just happened to be on the conspiracists' payrolls as well as those of
> some of the richest of New York's citizenry. Sadly, the assassination
> attempt was successful, but in death John Shaft managed to get one last
> strike at the power elite. In their arrogance, the conspirators didn't
> cover their tracks well enough and were all caught and convicted within
> weeks-
> money doesn't buy you smarts! Even people who weren't in on Shaft's
> assassination got caught when redoubled investigations into police
> corruption performed by IA officers who had been hand-picked by Shaft
> himself resulted in the discovery of connections to the mafia, including
the
> legendary John Gotti, as well as some major bankers and CEOs.
>
> Deed: Shaft comes to the humble and to those who show true concern for
> equality and justice for the underdog. He also blesses Templars and
> Companions who regularly fight against people who seek to exploit others
> (the Combine definitely qualfies as an example of "The Man"*). Also, Shaft
> doesn't tend to come to white Templars, though that doesn't mean he won't-
> he did it once. He tends to come to minorities, particularly blacks. He
> may be dead, but he still loves his Harlem home.
>
> White: Shaft, even as Mayor, never got married. He was just too much of a
> ladies' man. As a result, by spending a White Chip your character gains
the
> benefits of the Purty Edge for his Faith in hours. This isn't so much from
a
> change in appearance as it is from the manner in which your character
> carries him/herself and also from a newly-intensified magnetism.
>
> Red: Shaft was, as an extra said in the hotel rescue scene of the original
> movie, "one shrewd cat". He passes this onto those he Blesses in that
> the character may spend a Red chip to either automatically make any
> Scrutinize or Streetwise roll with a TN of 9 or less. On rolls greater
> than TN 9, this power simply grants a flat +5 to the roll. Either of these
> abilities may be used after the roll has been made. Regardless of the TN,
> you may use a Red Chip to instead avoid the effects of going bust and turn
> it into a simple failure.
>
> Blue: Shaft fought for equality, and in his Blessing he helps you do the
> same. You may spend a Blue Chip on any opposed roll- even one that
somebody
> else is making- to force a tie.
>
> Legend: Using both his resourcefulness and desire for equality, Shaft
grants
> a truly unique ability. Average the levels in all your Rewards, rounding
> up. Don't count Greater Rewards for this calculation. For the next hour,
> ALL of your Rewards ae either raised or brought down to that level. For
> Rewards at 5 in which you have the Greater Reward, you don't lose the
> benefit of the Greater Reward. Note: if the Relic power is raised, simply
> assign an additional +1 to damage for the weapon in question for each
level
> raised. If the power would be lowered, it should be worked out with the
> Marshal ahead of time what would happen if the weapon does something other
> than simply giving a level-dependant hit and/or damage bonus.
>
> Vexation: Shaft doesn't like racists or the greedy. He won't come to
anyone
> with the Greedy Hindrance or a racially-based Intolerance. If the Templar
> acts like a bully for any reason other than smacking around a scumbag for
> information or as part of his Templar cover (though for the latter he
should
> keep it to a minimum), Shaft leaves for 1d8 days.
> If the Templar begins to abuse his power for personal gain, Shaft leaves
for
> 1d4 weeks. If the Templar keeps up
> the behavior, Shaft splits, baby.
>
> *The Man is defined as any oppressive authoritative figure or body. Make
> sure you don't confuse it with "Da Man", who is a figure of greatness we
all
> (at least men) strive to be. Basically, Shaft is Da Man. He FOUGHT The
> Man.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Nick Zachariasen
> Editor Emeritus
> Trojan Times
>
>
>
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